Improved signal-tower



UNITED STATES JASON DOW, OF BIDDEFORD, MAINE.

IMPROVED'SIGNAL-TOWER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,536, dated July 24, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASON DOW, of Biddeford, county of York, in the State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Portable Signal-Tower; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in such a construction that the tower can be easily moved at little trouble and expense, and can be readily put up or taken down.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

My tower is made up of several sections or stories, and each section composed of several parts or pieces of wood or other suitable material. They can be readily separated and transported or put together and set up.

In the drawings, A represents the several vertical or upright pieces of timber forming a part of each section, and, say, about six inches square. On this slides an oblong piece-say, three by two feet-which I call a risen and is marked A.A A square or other suitable hole mortised in this riser permits it to slide along the piece A. On the top of A', I secure in any suitablemanner a cap-piece, O, a hole mortised through it, and which can easily be removed when it is desired. This cap C has another hole, c, mortised through it to receive the second stick A above, and also passing through it, the foot of A resting on the riser A, and to steady which there is a pin, b, in the foot of A', tting into a suitable hole in the riser A.

The cap C has four eyes, d, one being secured at each corner, on the under side. These are on each cap-piece, and to them guys g g g' g" are attached to steady the several sections of the tower when erected. On two sides of each cap-piece I also` secure two eyes, e, for blocks f to hook into and be suspended from.

D represents a table having a hole through it, so it will slide up and down any stick or timber A easily, which it may be connected with. It has several hooks, i, attached to it, in which the lower blocks, f', may hook. By

means of it the risers are hoisted up, as also men, material, &c. This table should be made in two pieces, so it can be transferred from one story to another and put on any stick. The two halves can be properly secured together.

The mode of constructing or setting up my tower is as follows: I tirst take the lower stick A', put on it the riser A and the cap O, the latter to be securely fastened to A'. I then secure an iron crane, E, to the cap C. This section is supposed to lie on the ground after being transported to the desired spot. I then attach my lower guys, g, at each corner or eye d of cap (l, and a block, j', on each side of cap at e. I then fasten two of the lower side guys to the ground, after being stretched out some length, or their full distance. Underneath the lower cap C there is a chain, C', having a hook or hooks and a ring on it. I hook a block into this ring, and secure its mate to the ground some distance oft'. Now, by pulling on the ropes passing through these blocks, the stick A', with its cap, riser, Ste., is elevated as a derrick would be. When the stick A' is in a perpendicular position all four guys, g, are fastened taut to the ground to steady this lower section. Now, by means of the tackle attached to the crane E, vmen can be raised up to top of cap C. Second stick A' is now inserted through hole c in first cap C, and the second riser and cap can also be hoisted up to rst cap by means of crane and attached tackle. The second riser A is put over the top end of second stick, the top of which has been passed through hole o then the caps O fastened on the top of this second stick A'. Now I transfer the crane from lower cap to second or upper one O; also attach guys g', as before, and a second set of tackle. The second stick A, with its cap, riser, Ste., is pushed through hole c in C until the foot of A' is placed on lower riser A, which may rest on table D on the ground, a pin, b, in the foot of second stick A', entering a hole in lower riser, steadying said second stick A. Now, by means of table D and side blocks, ff', a pair on each side, the riser A, which rests on D, as also the second stick A', an d all attached thereto, can be raised. An eye and link, as shown in Figure 2, illustrate how the riser and attached stick A' are secured together, and when the riser gets to a proper height the hook in I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters chain C' entersthe eye or staple in A', Fig.- 2, Patent of the United States, is- Whioh cha-in C is secured to C, and holds the A signal-tower constructed and operated second section suspended. in the manner substantially as shown and de- Ta-ble D can easily be transferred to upseribed, and for the purpose set forth. per stick A', and by means of the rope and e tackle attached other sections or stories een JASON DOW be added on, steadying the seine by guys ait- Attest: tached to the corners of each cap. WM. BERRY, l

Having thus described my invention, what W. E. DoNNELL. 

